"What kind of faith do (you say) you have?" (James 2: 14-17)

The book of James is a book in sermon-like format that has set before us in many different ways-about our faith. "Our faith," as in, not only what we believe, but especially our faith, in terms of what and in whom we are to place our trust, hope, and very lives in! Faith, as in our deepest of convictions, should determine how we live in our day to day relationship with God our Father, and the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as well as with each other.

In regard to the testing or trying of our faith, in chapter 1: 2-3 James wrote: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (endurance)."

Concerning actually trusting God to give us the wisdom we all so desperately need, he writes in verses 5-6: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting...."

Defining what true religion or ‘faith in Christ' is, in verses 26-27, he reminds us: If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion (or faith) is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit the orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

Lastly, in chapter 2: 1-13, we are exhorted not to hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ with partiality, that is, we are not to say or claim that we have faith in this Lord of glory, and then do the contrary, by showing ungodly favoritism toward anyone, and especially the poor or the least of His brethren. If Christians are followers of Christ, we ought also to walk just as He walked (I John 2: 6).

Evaluation of Our Faith

And so, is it any wonder that when we come to verses 14-26, James once again calls upon us to consider our faith? We must evaluate our profession of faith and check ourselves by asking ourselves, "What kind of faith do we have?" Therefore, James in this passage, combats that slothful and slipshod practice of saying one thing and doing another thing! He challenges those who may be deceiving themselves into thinking that they have true faith, when in truth, their faith is empty or barren. Dead on arrival!

Basically, our Lord is calling us to be Christians: to be Christians in name, in word, in deed, and in all truth and sincerity. "What kind of faith do you say you have?" Is it an ‘alive in Christ' faith? A living faith? Is it a profitable faith that brings forth fruit so that others might know that you are is what you say you are?

Truly, with God Almighty, there are to be no pretenders! No shysters of religion! There is no room for a heady or intellectual kind of faith, or a secret sophisticated orthodoxy! We either have true faith or you have a dead faith! We are either in Christ, or we are not! We are either fulfilling the royal law according to Scripture-loving God and our neighbor as ourselves-or we are not. There can be no happy medium when it comes to holding to faith in our Lord Jesus Christ!

Once again James sets the context, or the mind-set, that he saw in his day, and with which the Church of Jesus Christ, and every body of believers who ever existed, has had to face. And he does so by asking a couple of questions that he expects all true Christians to answer in the negative!

Our Profession

"What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?" (2:14) What is he asking here?

If someone claims that he has faith, and he holds for truth all that God has revealed to him in the

Holy Scriptures, if he talks a good game, if he knows all the right words, the right scriptures and has the catechism memorized, and can give a good answer in regard to the facts of God and salvation-but, if he has nothing to show for it, that is, he or she does not live it, and has no heartfelt trust in the truths of God, of Christ and His saving work, then what does this kind of faith profit? What does this "head knowledge" faith profit him or any body else? Nothing! Again, note, James is supposing that someone is claiming that he has faith, but in reality, he has no fruit or ‘good works' and no evidence to back it up!

Then he asks, "Can this kind of ‘faith' save him?" Does this kind of a faith prove that he or she is a Christian, when this faith is known only in words or in a profession of faith? Is this saving faith? No! For lip service alone can never save an individual! This kind of ‘faith' is not true faith!

"This verse is a pronouncement of the practicality of the Christian faith. Christianity is not getting a few notions into our heads, but it is a change of the seat of all our affections and dispositions, a change of the heart." (Spiros Zodhiates) This is a change that demonstrate that Christ indeed has gotten a hold of us and we of Him!

What is true faith? "True faith is not only a sure or certain knowledge whereby I hold for truth all that God has revealed to me in His Word, BUT ALSO, a hearty trust, which the Holy Spirit works in me by the Gospel, that not only to others, but to me also, forgiveness of sins, everlasting righteousness and salvation are freely given by God, merely of grace, only for the sake of Christ's merits." (HC Q20) And because of this, HC Q64 teaches, it is impossible that those who are implanted into Christ by true faith should not bring forth fruits of thankfulness.

How Faith Works

James shows what he means by giving an example of what this ‘professing only faith' looks like.

"If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food ... (2:15) This is a brother or sister in the Lord, a fellow believer who is truly in need of the basics of life. "Naked" here means without a decent set of clothes to cover their Body."Destitute of daily food", means that he is without a daily portion of food (without enough food for even one day), "and one of you says to them,"Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," (2:16) This means, "O may the Lord bless you and keep you, or go with God in peace and be warmed and be filled"; (that is, I pray the Lord will make you warm, and somehow brings you a decent pair of pants and a coat, or I pray the Lord give you your daily bread, a bowl of rice or a sandwich.")

In other words, if this professing one only gives to them in word only, but does not give to them the things that are truly needed for the body, what does it profit?

How does this kind of a faith profit anyone-You or them, or the glory of God? It doesn't! Rather it brings shame, dishonor and reproach upon the name of the Lord! It demonstrates a basic lack of love for your brother or sister in the Lord! How can this kind of faith be considered genuine? It cannot! This person's faith has failed the truth and sincerity test! He cannot possibly claim that he has the love of God in his heart (real faith) if he does not manifest it toward his own destitute brothers and sisters.

Here are a few questions that we must ask ourselves: Is this the kind of ‘faith' we have? Is this what ‘our profession of faith' looks like to the world in which we live? Do we even want to know the ‘naked and hungry' brethren in our midst?

To say to someone in need that God will provide the needed clothes and the needed daily bread, when we can perfectly well provide for them ourselves, is making mockery of the name of God. "Sometimes instead of going to our closet of prayer, we might better go to our clothes closet and to our pantry and then visit some of our poor brethren!" (S. Zodhiates)

In verse 17, James also concludes, that "faith by itself (alone), if it does not have works, is dead." This kind of a ‘professing faith' by itself is just as useless or barren as telling someone in need to be warmed and filled!

Then James further adds to his point by using a ‘dramatization' so to speak. He pictures someone in the congregation rising up and speaking to the body supporting his claim and so he writes: "But someone will say. ‘You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (2:18)

In other words, this supposed supporter says: "You who say that you have faith, you profess Christ well and good, and I have works, that is, I live out my faith! So prove to me your ‘profession of faith' without works, without evidence.

And I will demonstrate to you that my faith, the faith that I profess is real, because you will see it in my works! You will see evidence of the saving grace of Jesus Christ at work within me! But you have no real evidence to back up your professed faith! I see none! There is no evidence of the grace of God in Christ at work within you! Where's the fruit? You say you are this and that you believe in this or that-"Where's the proof?"

Many are those who profess Christ, who may recite the Apostles' Creed, and even say it with gusto! They may sing with fervor and pray with all pretense of being sincere; but what good is it if their faith, their hope in Christ is not a hearty trust? There is not a doing of God's word? or a desire to love Him and their neighbor? (See Matthew 7: 21-23; Matthew 21: 28-32)

James then proclaims: "You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe and tremble!" (2:19)

Indeed, he tells the scattered saints, that even the evil angels and wicked spirits who are outside of Christ, and who are subject to the curse and condemnation of God, truly believe that there is one God! But what does their kind of ‘faith' result in? They are terrified by Him because there is no real love and trust in God their Creator! Theirs is not a living, loving kind of a faith! Their kind of faith is a fruitless ‘believing faith' that leads them and keeps them forever bound to their sins and rebelliousness and under the judgment and condemnation of the Holy One! (See Mark 1: 23-24 ; 3: 11 & Luke 8: 28, 33.)

Is this the kind of faith we desire? ... that we want? ... that we have? A faith that certainly professes, "I believe in God the Father, Almighty Maker of heaven and earth", but then trembles, and runs in terror at the sound of His voice? He professes to know this "Father" until all trouble or ‘evil' breaks loose? He talks of his or her faith in this Father, but who, in reality, lives a life of utter carelessness and sinful laziness in the face of the Almighty God?

What Kind of Faith Do You Have?

Hear what God through James has to say to all who think and live so foolishly: "But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" (2:20)

This is the truth of all who foolishly sport with God! Who make their profession of faith in God with nice sounding words and statements; who say the right things, and who make the biblically correct pronouncements, but who in reality are far away from Him! For their kind of ‘faith' is a dead faith-a faith that has only remained within the mind or mouth, but has never truly been set in the soul, or embraced by the heart!

What kind of faith do you have? When you and I profess together, "I believe," how far or deep does that belief go? Is it far and deep enough to be seen, felt and known by others? Is it profitable to others? What glory does it bring God, the Father, the Almighty Maker of heaven and earth?

Dear readers, if you would truly believe, if you would truly embrace Jesus Christ, and place all your trust in Him, and if you would have true faith, then you must embrace Jesus Christ with a hearty trust! If there are any of you reading this article that truly know that you have thus far only professed Christ with the lip or with the mouth; indeed, with a right and good sounding mouth or profession, but you know that God is revealing to you that your faith is only an empty or barren profession, then your heart has not been captivated by the love of God in Christ.

If so, I strongly urge you to call upon Jesus Christ to save you from this empty or dead faith and fruit-less profession! Call upon Him to so work in you by the word preached today and through the power of His Holy Spirit-that you might receive the right kind of faith! Saving faith! A faith and a trust or hope that really changes you! That makes you a new creature in Christ, and that will therefore cause you to produce fruits of righteousness for His name's sake! He will hear your plea! He will hear your prayer! For dear readers, He is in the business of saving men, women and children! It is His delight to so work in you, that you will so walk after Him!

Also, for all who have made a profession of their faith; and yet it is a faith that has withered or lost its moisture, whose fruits are languishing upon a mere dusty profession of faith, then your Lord desires to see His grace at work within you, showing forth the fruits of His mercy and love! Call out to Him this day then and confess your sins to Him, crying out to Him: "Lord I do want to be a Christian, and not only in my profession or with my lips alone, but also and especially in my heart and life!" "Lord I want to be like Jesus!" I want the kind of faith that demonstrates itself with deeds of love and mercy so that others might see Christ in me!

May the profession that I make with my lips on a Sunday morning be the same proclamation that is manifested or seen in my life throughout the week!

This is the kind of "faith" that we all should want. This is the kind of faith that is to be proclaimed and believed within our own hearts-within the Body of Christ and unto a lost and sin-cursed world. May God so grant us this living faith, this truly saving faith.

Historical Background Leading Up to Pentecost

To understand the true empowerment with which the Church has been equipped, one must take the time to thoroughly understand the significance of what happened on the day of Pentecost just after Jesus' ascension into heaven.

A good starting point in any study is to recognize that with God nothing happens by chance. God's plan of redemption is historically and progressively revealed throughout the Old Testament, reaching its fullness with the first advent of our Lord Jesus Christ. As such no detail should be overlooked but studied with the understanding that the providence of God is operative at every point in the Bible's revelation of the plan of salvation.

With this in view, the study of what happened in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, when the promised gift of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit was realized, begins with an appreciation for the origin of the festival and its significance for God's covenant people.

The term Pentecost literally means the fiftieth day and thus began fifty days after Passover on the first day of the week. In Exodus 23:14-16, Pentecost, also known as the feast of weeks or harvest, is listed as one of the three great feasts in which all of the men were to appear to offer worship to God. The one day Pentecost feast in particular was observed to celebrate the end of the barley and wheat harvest season. The first-fruits of the harvest were to be brought into the temple as a thank offering for God's provision.

The feast is actually tied to the offering on the third day, the first day of the week after the Passover, when the first harvest sheaves were offered, marking the beginning of the harvest season. But none of the fresh harvest was to be eaten until after the Pentecost offering when the season for the thank offerings for God's blessing began.

The harvest festivals served as a symbol of God's grace in bringing the Hebrews into the promised land, and giving to them the fruit of a land for which they had not labored. The celebration was to be in view over the course of the seven weeks, ending in the Pentecost celebration in which the people acknowledged that God had provided the fruit from the harvest. In other words, it was a picture of God's grace in giving them all that they had, particularly in the context of deliverance from exile into the promised land and life, spiritually of redemption and resurrection unto life.

Pentecost's Effects Today

For the Christian church, Pentecost marks the day when the promise of the Father spoken of in Acts 1:4 is realized. Jesus' final recorded words before His ascension into heaven declared that the promise of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit was going to happen within the next few days in Jerusalem. This promise of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit was not a new concept for Israel. Peter points to Joel 2:28 as the promise being fulfilled before the festival participants gathered in Jerusalem and witnessed this epochal event in redemptive history.

The promise of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit was prominent in Jesus' own ministry. In Acts 1:4, He instructs the disciples to remain in Jerusalem until the promise of the Father, which you have heard from Me has happened. That promise Jesus explains is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

On several occasions Jesus' had made promises to the disciples about the coming of the Holy Spirit. It is of no little importance that upon the event of Jesus' own baptism by John the Baptist, marking the beginning of Jesus' ministry that John declared, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Luke 3:17) This baptism of the Holy Spirit, however, is not part of Jesus' three year ministry. Rather it is to be the fruit of His obedience and redemptive sacrifice for which He was anointed by John.

Throughout Jesus' instruction there are numerous times that He declares the promise of the coming of the Holy Spirit in a greater and more distinct way. He speaks of His sending, or the Holy Spirit being sent by the Father in His name, to teach, comfort and lead the disciples (Luke 12:2, John 14:26, 16:13). But that this was to wait until after Jesus' earthly ministry is apparent from John 16:7, where Jesus declares, "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you."

Keeping this in mind then, up to the day of Pentecost, the Spirit is essentially a future promise yet to be realized in the minds of the disciples. But after Pentecost the emphasis turns to the present reality of the gift of the Holy Spirit poured out and active in the church, enabling the saints to do the work of missionary outreach to all the nations.

Pentecost and the Mission of the Church

So in asking the question of what happened at Pentecost, the focus should not be so much on the individual recipients of the gift, but on the centrality of the One who is giving that gift as the enjoyment of the fruit of His work of redemption and the significance of His resurrection and ascension.

The Pentecost event can only be rightly understood when viewed through the thematic purpose laid out for the New Testament church by our Lord just before He ascended into heaven. In Acts 1:8, Jesus declares, "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." As such Jesus' declaration is intimately tied to the great commission in Matthew 28, where our Lord states, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations. . ." The point being that this particular pouring out of the Holy Spirit as the promise of the Father was specifically to equip the church to carry out the grand calling to evangelize the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ as the only name by which sinners can be saved.

As such, the focus of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit is not to be on the "gifts" of the Spirit, but on the "gift" of the Holy Spirit poured out on the whole church represented by the disciples gathered together as a whole in Jerusalem. The "gift" of the Holy Spirit is designed to bring the body of Christ together with a unified purpose to effectively carry out the mission of the church in proclaiming to the gospel to all nations.

The unique ability to speak in other or foreign tongues was not for the benefit of the individual speaking in a foreign tongue, but for the purpose of proclamation of the gospel to those from other nations as a demonstration that salvation was no longer to be only of the Jews. Pentecost was an expression of God's intention to open the church up at this time to include not only Jewish believers but ultimately the Gentiles as well.

All of this is accomplished because Christ, as the head of the church, sends His life-giving Spirit to dwell within the believer and enjoin him to the church and its mission. The Spirit then is the presence of Christ in the midst of His church. As such, the New Testament church is the continuation of the ministry of Christ here on earth until the final day of judgment. In this sense, what happened at Pentecost is the baptism of the church with the Holy Spirit as the crowning achievement of Christ's work. It is our Lord Jesus Christ's joy in the harvest of all for whom He has died and to all to whom He imparts the gift of eternal life. Thus, Jesus is the first-fruit of the resurrection of all that He will raise up on the last day.